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For the second time Igor Rubtsov (see photo), Russia, will take part in the European Super-Cup which will be held on November 11-12, in the town of Vidnoye, the Moscow region. He.ll have to face seven best European tennis-players and fight for prestigious award of EUR 150,000 (see the ETTU website, actual value of the prize is $ 120,000, editor.s note).

Did you change your style of playing compared to the previous year?

I feel much more confident compared to the previous Super-Cup in Kazan. In sport, a year is a significant period of time. I accumulated adequate experience having played against the best European tennis-players. I had an opportunity to play about 10 matches with leading table-tennis players and now I step out for matches with Ball, Samsonov and many other prominent players without shaking in knees.

Why didn.t you enter the semi-finals at the Supercup in Kazan?

In Kazan I won only two sets. Frankly speaking, I didn.t expect more, but I promise, this year I.ll try my best to play much better.

What participants of the Supercup would find it more difficult to adapt to prohibition of use of .fast-setting glue.* owing to content of harmful substances in it?

New regulations of gluing base and cover bar of the rackets cause a lot of inconveniences for some players, but Timo Ball is obviously an exception. He has been playing excellently for the last 2 months: he won the championship of Europe in Saint-Petersburg and Pro-Tour in Austria last week. Vladimir Samsonov from Belarus and Timo are the leading European players, perhaps followed in a short gap by Werner Schlager. Other table-tennis players have found themselves in a more complicated situation.

Do you know who will play in the finals of this tournament?

In Kazan 2007 Ball outplayed Samsonov in the finals, and I think the same situation will be this time. Ball vs Samsonov is the most predictable out of all European finals for the last 6 years. I feel that Ball will become a winner in Vidnoye.

Do you find this season successful for you?

Undoubtedly, the season of 2007/08 was the most successful in my career. I outplayed Samsonov in South America and Li Chin in Singapore. I also achieved the 61st position in world rating, it.s my best result so far. The only aggrieving moment for me is new regulations, concerning ban on use of fast-setting glue, which have hindered my further progress. Like many table-tennis players, I.ve got enough of problems, connected with new equipment.

* - Fast-setting glue was previously applied for gluing base and cover bar of the racket – translator.s note

The material was prepared on the basis of documents, presented at ettu.org